The conventional method of making automobile styling models is to first sculpt the concept body in modeler's clay. Skilled industrial sculptors receive verbal instructions and work from body prints and drawings of the concept vehicle to transform the two dimensional renderings into a full-size three dimensional model. Modeling clay has long been used for its ability to be worked and reworked until the desired concept design is achieved. The ability to rework the styling clay is an important advantage, however, it also permits substantial variations from the initial concept to be incorporated in the final model. While a clay model may be studied to get a general idea of the design, it is still necessary to visualize the final appearance of the car without paint or trim.
Due to the tremendous investment required in developing a new automotive or other product design, it is preferable to be able to evaluate a new design as it will finally appear, complete with paint and trim. When a clay styling model is made it can not be painted or trimmed but must be used as a pattern for a plaster or plastic cast mold. After a mold of the clay model is formed, fiberglass is then cast in the mold to the shape of the original clay model. The fiberglass body is then removed from the mold and finished by painting and assembling final trim and glass to permit evaluation of the product in its final form. The above process typically takes from three to four months and is extremely costly. If the final model is not satisfactory it may be necessary to push back production plans to permit the preparation of another clay model and fiberglass casting.
One attempt at eliminating some of the problems in the conventional clay modeling method is known as the epowood process wherein plywood panels are attached to a welded steel frame. In the first step of the epowood process a plywood armature is assembled to precise specifications on a surface plate. Plastic cellular foam blocks are then bonded to the armature. Next, the blocks are covered with a thick layer of epowood material, an epoxy resin based material, and shaped to a rough body contour. The epowood material cures and then is marked with horizontal body lines transferred from the drawing by means of a plan view template which is positioned precisely on the surface plate. A vertical angle block having a router attached thereto at a height corresponding to the horizontal body line of the plan view section is then moved about the plan view template to form a groove in the epowood material. Making templates and grooving the epowood is repeated at vertically spaced intervals. An industrial sculptor then must carve the remaining eopwood material to connect the grooves. The model is then painted with a polyurethane paint and final trim is assembled to the model to complete the process.
While the epowood process represents a significant improvement in that it permits a direct process for making hard surface models, it is a laborious procedure requiring preparation of complete body line drawings and templates. The epowood must be initially sculpted into the rough form of the model and then resculpted to the exact shape as indicated by the grooves. The epowood process relies upon the use of a large and expensive surface plate to assure accuracy. Industrial sculptors are required in all phases of the process and the time required to manufacture a styling model is not significantly reduced as compared to the conventional clay styling model method. The epowood process is also subject to deviations from the initial design concept drawings due to the reliance on the industrial sculptor to convert from the two dimensional drawings to the styling model.
These and other problems have been solved by the method of the present invention.